Exhibition

Wood joints - expression of tectonic culture

Curator
Udo Thönnissen

Schweizer Baumuster-Centrale Zürich

June - September 2020
Wood joints reflect the different building cultures in timber construction. Their shape is determined by climate and material, but also by aesthetic values.

While timber framing dominates in traditional timber construction in Central and Southern Europe, in Scandinavia buildings made of horizontal logs are common. In China and Japan, on the other hand, a skeleton construction method has been established that manages without bracing walls and resists typhoons and earthquakes particularly well.

In recent years, wood joints have been experiencing a renaissance due to changes in fire protection regulations and computer-aided manufacturing techniques.

An exhibition at the Schweizer Baumuster-Centrale Zürich shows traditional wood joints from Europe and the Anglo-Saxon world, as well as from China and Japan. It also illustrates how wood joints are used in current and future construction projects.

The exhibits are explained in 8 video contributions.